Automatic time-recorder for telegraph



(No Model.)

H. W. POPE.

AUTOMATIC TIME RECORDER FOR TELEGRAPHIG SIGNAL BOXES.

No. 252,798. atented Jan. 24,1882.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY \V. POPE, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JEl'tvEY.

AUTOMATIC TIME-RECORDER FOR TELEGRAPHIC SIGNAL-BOXES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 252,798, dated January24, 1882.

Application filed July 21,1881. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY W. Porn, a citizenof the United States, and a resident of Elizabeth, in the county ofUnion and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Automatic Time-Recorders for Telegraphic Sign al-BoXes,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus which is employed for the transmissionof arbitrary and determinate signals from different substations upon atelegraph-line to aprincipal or central station, each substation beingprovided with circuit-breaking mechanism, which, when set in action,automatically transmitsa certain predetermined signal peculiar to itselfto the central station. This organization is employed more especiallyfor fire-alarm, district, and other municipal and protective telegraphs.

My invention consists in general of mechanism whereby the particularhour and subdivision of an hour during the day or night at which asignal has been thus transmitted from any particular station isautomatically registered or recorded.

To this end the invention consists more particularly in inclosing orprotecting the mechanism whereby the signal is transmitted with amovable cover or guard, and in attaching to such movable cover or guarda registering device or mechanism which is controlled by its movement,whereby the act of removing the said guard by any person for the purposeof transmitting a telegraphic signal to the cen tral stationautomatically actuates the registering mechanism, and thus enables theprecise hour at which such signal was transmitted to be ascertained by asubsequent inspection of the apparatus.

The invention further consists in the combination, with the mechanismfor transmitting signals and the movable cover or guard inclosing thesame, of a tablet, a chronometer or timetrain forimparting a uniformprogressive movement to said tablet, and a marking device whereby arecord or imprint is automatically produced upon the surface of saidtablet when the cover or guard is removed from the signaling mechanismfor the purpose of transmitting the signal.

The invention further consists in certain combinations of mechanism,hereinafter particularly described and claimed, whereby the objcctof theinvention is more effectually and conveniently attained.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of myinvention, a portion of the front of the inner case being broken away toexhibit the internal mechanism. Fig. 2 is a view, in elevation, of adetached portion of the apparatus. Figs. 3 and 4 are detached sectionalviews of a portion of the apparatus, showing the slide which actuatesthe recording mechanism in two ditt'crent positions, and Fig. 5 isavertical transverse section of the recording apparatus.

In the drawings, Ais aframe inclosinga train of wheel-work and springwhich propels the circuit-breaking mechanism for the transmis sion ofasignal; and a is the automatic circuitbreaking wheel,which, w henreleased, is caused to rotate by the action of said wheelwvork. Theconstruction and organization of signaltrausmitting mechanism of thischaracter are well known, they havinglong been used in connection withdistrict and fire-alarm telegraphs of every description, and thereforeneed not be herein described in detail.

The circuit-breaking wheel a is normally held in check by the lever B,which carries a hook or detent, b, at one of its extremities, whichnormally engages with a pin, 0, upon said wheel. When the lever-B isdepressed by the finger of the operator the pin 0 on thecircuit-breaking wheel a isreleased and the wheel is permitted to makeone or more revolutions in the direction indicated by thearrow markedthereon, during which time the teeth (I (1, projecting from itsperiphery, pass underneath the contact-spring C, forming an electricalconnection therewith and transmitting a predetermined signal in awell-known manner. This signaling apparatus is placed for protectionwithin a metallic case or box, D, which is closed in front byahingeddoor,D,the greater part of which door is represented in Fig. 1 as beingbroken away in order to permit the mechanism within to be seen. The boxor case D is designed to be fastened with a suitable lock, the key towhich is in the exclusive possession or control of an authorizedolficialconnected with the central station. The box or case D isinclosed within another outer case, E, of the same general form andconstruction, and this is also closed in front by a hinged door orcover, 0, which is providedinlikemannor with a suitable lock, the key ofwhich isin the possession of or accessible to persons authorized totransmit signals, as policemen or watchmen. When the door cot" the outercase, B, is open, as shown in Fig. 1, nothing except the exterior of theinner case, I), is exposed, the only portion of the mechanism accessiblewithout unlocking the inner box being the extremity of the handle B,which projects therefrom, as seen in Fig. 1, and which serves to depressthe lever B.

A chronometer or time-train, F, of the usual or any suitableconstruction, ismountedin the lower part of the inner case, I), and isdriven by a coiled spring, which may be wound at suitable intervals, inthe usual manner of a time piece.

Instead of the hour-hand usually attached to a clock or chronometer, adisk or tablet, G, is atlixed to the proper arbor thereof, so that itwill make two complete revolutionsin twenty-l'our hours, in the samemanneras the hand. Upon this tablet G a circular piece of paper, 9, maybe secured-by means of a clamping-nut, h, or otherwise, upon which haspreviously been printed a dial-face, similar to that of an ordinarytime-piece, representing the succes- I sive hours from 1 to XII, withtheir usual sub divisions. This paper dial, being atfixed to the tablet,revolves with it once every twelve hours, as hereinbefore explained.

The apparatus by which a mark or imprint is made upon the dial 9whenever the door e of the outer case is opened for the purpose oftransmitting a signal will next be explained.

H is a slide, which is attached to the outside of the inner case, B, bymeans of screwshhmoving in slots 6 i, and is therefore movable in andout in the direction of'its length. \Vhen the outer case is open, asshown in Fig. 1, it is pressed forward by means of a strong spring, J,which is attached to the exterior of the case 1-3, and bears against apin, j, upon the slide, as best seen in Fig. 2. A screw, ]L2, isinserted into the front end of the slide H, which is so adjusted as toproject a short distance beyond the edge of the outer case, E, when thecover e is thrown open and the slide H pressed forward by the action ofthe spring J; consequently when the door 0 (which forms a cover or guardfor the signal-operating mechanism) is closed and locked it pressesagainst the screw 7L and forces the slide H back against the pressure ofthe spring J; but the moment the door is opened the spring J throws theslide H forward again into the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

Within the inner box, D, is a short lever, K, mounted upon a fulcrum,lc, as best seen in Figs. 3 and at. The lever K has a projecting angulararm, L, which is armed at its extremity with a marking style, point, orpencil, Z. The

opposite end of the lever K is formed into a nose it, which projectsinto the path of a hook or detent, M, which is secured to the movableslide H and is held in position by a yielding spring, on. hen the door 0is open the several parts which have been described are in the positionindicated in Fig. 3; but when the door is closed the slide H is pushedin, carrying with it the hook M, which passes by the nose of the lever Kwithout moving it, owing to the yielding of the spring at. When,however, the door 0 is again opened for the purpose oftransniittingasignal the slide H is instantly thrown forward by the recoil ot' thespring J, and the hook M engages with the nose It" of the lover K, asshown in Fig. 4, thus drawing the latter forward and at the same timedepressing the opposite arm, L', and causing the markingpoint Z attachedthereto to mark or prick the paper dial g. As soon as the motion of thelever K is arrested by the marking-point 1 coming in contact with thepaper dial upon the tablet the detent M becomes disengaged from it andthe slide Hand its attachments return to the position shown in Fig. 3.Thelever L and marking-point l are also restored to their normalposition by the recoil of a spring, 0, provided for that purpose.

The manner in which the apparatus is used is as follows: The outer case,E, containing the entire mechanism, is secured to a wall or othersuitable support either upon the exterior or interior of a building. Atsome particular hour of the day an authorized person who has charge ofthe apparatus opens both the exterior and the interior boxes,winds upand starts the time mechanism, and places a fresh paper dial upon thetablet in such aposition that the situation of the marking-point withreference to the characters upon the dial will indicate the correct timeat the moment, and the dial is then secured in that position by means ofthe nut h. The inner and outer cases are then closed and locked. Thepoliceman or watchman whose duty it is to transmit a signal from the boxat stated intervals during the night, being provided with a key to theouter box, IE, opens it at the proper time, and by depressing thehandleB releases the signaling mechanism, and thus transmits a signal to thecentral station, as hereinbefore explained. At the same moment theaction of the slide H upon the opening of the door causes a mark in theform of a dot or point to be made upon the paper dial upon the tablet,and it is obvious that the mark thus automatically made upon the openingof the door at any time will show at what hour the box was entered forthe purpose of transmitting the signal. At the close of each days workthe dial may be removed and replaced by a fresh one.

If the attendant at the central station is required to make an entryupon his books of the time each signal is received from the watchman, itis apparent that the record upon the paper dial in the signal-box oughtto corre ITS central station is efl'ectually prevented.

spond therewith, and thus any collusion between the watchman and theattendant at the The automatic device serves as an absolute cheek, andgives an infallible record of the hour and subdivision of the hour atwhich each signal has been sent.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination, substantially ashereinbefore set forth, of a mechanism for transmitting electricsignals, a movable cover or guard inclosing or protecting saidmechanism, a reg istering device or mechanism, and devices,substantiallyas described, connected to the cover or guard and to theregistering mechanism, whereby said registering mechanism is controlled.

2. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth,ofamechanisin for transmitting electric signals, a movable cover orguard inelosing the same, a tablet, atime-train for imparting a uniformprogressive movementto said tablet, a markingdeviee,and devices,substantially as described, for automatically producing arecord uponsaid tablet when said cover or guard is removed from the signalingmechanism.

3. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of amechanism for transmitting electric signals, a movable cover or guardiuclosingorproteeting said mechanism, ayielding slide, a spring which iscompressed by said slide when said cover or guard is in its normalposition, a lever provided at one end with a marking device, and a hookor detent which engages with the opposite end of said lever during theadvance movement of said slide when the latter is actuated by the recoilof the spring.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 20th day ofJuly, A. D. 1881.

- HENRY \V. POPE. Witnesses:

WILLIAM H. KENYON, MILLER O. EARL.

